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This may be the wrong place for asking this, but what are the repercussions of getting caught cheating in "prestigious" online tournaments in relation to penalization in over the board play? I am specifically asking about Tasmanian jurisdictions, but any information on this matter would be much appreciated.

This may be the wrong place for asking this, but what are the repercussions of getting caught cheating in "prestigious" online tournaments in relation to penalization in over the board play? I am specifically asking about Tasmanian jurisdictions, but any information on this matter would be much appreciated.

With respect to Tasmania, it would probably depend on where it was alleged to have happened. S19.1 of the TCA Constitution says:

1) The TCA may discipline any member for conduct detrimental to the interests of chess in Tasmania during or in connection with any TCA event or TCA sponsored event, whether as a player, organiser, arbiter or spectator, subject to the following requirements:

(a) The TCA's action is independent of that taken by any arbiter in the
event with respect to the player's participation or results in that event.
This policy does not bind arbiters of TCA events.

(b) The TCA shall only act on receipt of a written complaint, or a report by
a tournament arbiter, citing the grounds for the complaint or report.

(c) The TCA Secretary, acting in consultation with the Executive, may
dismiss a complaint without hearing it if in the Secretary's opinion the
complaint is frivolous, vexatious or entirely concerned with matters beyond
the TCA's jurisdiction.

Thus, even if an allegation of cheating was proven, but happened in an event not organised or conducted by the TCA, it is probably beyond the powers of the TCA to establish a formal disciplinary process. If it was alleged to have occurred in a TCA event, or an event 'sponsored' by the TCA, S.19.2 & S.19.3 of the Constitution says:

(2) If the complaint is heard –

(a) the complaint shall be forwarded to the person(s) named more than a month in advance of the TCA meeting which shall discuss the complaint.

(b) the complaint shall be heard in strict accordance with normal principles of natural justice including the right to a fair hearing and the right to present evidence.

(c) the person(s) named in the complaint may appeal the TCA's findings on the complaint to an ad hoc appeal committee appointed by the TCA, and consisting entirely of people not previously involved in hearing the complaint. This committee shall be composed of people with chess experience but may include Australian Chess Federation-approved personnel not resident in Tasmania. Appeals shall be accompanied by a $50 deposit, refunded if the appeal is upheld, and shall be brought only on the grounds that the TCA's decision was influenced by errors of procedure, and not simply because of disagreement with the decision. If the appeal is upheld, all penalties applied shall be revoked.

(3) The penalties open to the TCA in the case of a misconduct finding shall
include –

(a) Banning the player from TCA events and TCA sponsored events for a
specified period.

(b) Recording an official warning.

(c) Requiring a player to pay a deposit on entry fees to TCA events and TCA sponsored events for a specified period, to be refunded at the end of that event if a specified form of misconduct was not repeated in that event.

(d) Requiring a player to perform an appropriate restitution, such as making good damage done or apologising, in order to avoid one of the above penalties.

Yes, a person banned by the ACF can appeal, although their appeal right is currently confined to there being a "material error or omission" (eg the ACF ban was imposed based on incorrect information or an unfair process) - they can't appeal on the grounds that the decision was wrong even though the information was correct and due process followed. They could however take such a case to court (or the ACF might in theory agree to let them appeal anyway.)

Also worth noting that anyone banned by a state association that then informs the ACF of the ban is automatically banned from events covered by the ACF code of ethics unless the ACF decides otherwise.

I will try to get MCC to approve of my suggestion of referring Computer cheaters to the ACF for a ban!